Checklist for Beginning Single-Star-Mode Observations at PTI

Items that can be done during daylight hours.

1. Preparing the Infrared Detector (details)

• Verify vacuum - should be around 10 microns or lower
• Check temperature - should be 77 K. NOTE: do not cool unless evacuated!
• Use funnel to fill LN2 through the hole on top of the dewar.
• Repeat procedure for secondary dewar.

2. Aligning the White-Light Source with the Boresighting Laser (details)

• Unblock boresight laser.  Insert the ND filter on flipper.
• Put retroreflector in N beam path on table against template.
• Adjust lens in front of microscope to center laser spot on circle on monitor.
• Block boresight laser.
• Turn White-light source on, at maximum intensity.
• Adjust mirror mount next to WL source until WL spot is also aligned to circle on monitor; may need to dim room lights.
• Verify Laser blocked.
• Flip up ND filter.
• Remove retro-reflector from beam path.
• Repeat procedure for secondary table if necessary.

3. Aligning the Delay-Line Metrology System (details)

• Verify delay lines are in "back" position.
• Tweak delay line metrology. (adjust beamplitter to center on paper target; top mirror to center return on detector; bottom mirror for maximum intensity (use ND to attenuate).)

4. Aligning the Detector on the PRIMARY table (details)

• Put retro in N beam path.
• Verify laser blocked.
• Verify chop calibrate retros covered.
• Turn WL source on, to ~1V.
• On console type following commands:
1. ftFull
2. arrayDoWL
• Align WL pixel using stage labeled "white-light" (not one near dewar)
• Type "arrayDoSpec".
• Align vertical part of spectrum using stage labeled "spec".
• Place line filter in front of WL source.
• Turn up WL source to ~4V.
• Align spectral pixel horizontally.

5. Aligning the Single-Mode Fiber on the PRIMARY table. (details)

• Verify that line filter is not in front of WL source.
• Verify Laser blocked.
• Turn lights off in room.
• Verify retro reflector in N beam path.
• Type "ftABCD" on console.
• Power-cycle multimeter; set to DCV
• Turn WL source on, adjusting brightness so multimeter reads 3-5V.
• Tweak (carefully) fiber stage.

5. Aligning the Detector on the SECONDARY table (skip if only doing primary observations). (details)

• Put Corner Cube in place at end of secondary table.
• Type ftFull at secondary console. Then arrayDoWL
• Turn on WL Source to ~1 V.
• Adjust WL lens in front of dewar up/down to center on pixel.
• Type "ftABCD" on console.
• Power-cycle multimeter; set to DCV
• Adjust WL source brightness so multimeter reads 3-5V. Start from as close to zero as it goes.
• Tweak horizontal axis of lens on the spectrometer side so as to maximize signal on multimeter.
• Type ftFull at secondary console. Then arrayDoSpec
• Adjust spec pixel in vertical direction using external lens.
• Adjust spec pixel in horizontal direction using internal (dewar) lens.

Items to be done at dusk.

6. Preparing the Huts (details)

• Begin at twilight.
• Open huts.
• Turn air conditioners and dehumidifiers off.
• Remove siderostat covers.
• Remove vacuum pipe end cover.
• Fold silver wrap out of beam path.

7. Aligning the Long Stellar Beam Paths (details)

• Unblock Boresighting laser.
• Use remote control box on switchyard table to put hut corner cubes in place.
• Use picomotor controller and templates on beam-combiner table to align beams. NOTE: the white side of the template should face the delay lines. Don't adjust if you don't see a return; check the signal outside first.
• Remove templates.
• Remove retro-reflectors from beam paths in huts using remote control box.
• Block boresighting laser.

8. Starting up the Data System (details)

• In /home/pti/bin, type "beginNight"
• If you need to change integration times, type 10MS or 20MS in /home/pti/bin; then hibernate and reboot dl0 and ft0. (details)
• Start gui by typing "g &" in /home/pti/bin.
• Read notes.txt, which pops up when you start. It contains things to check and updates to these instructions.

9. Calibrating the Detector (details)

• Lights off.
• Verify laser blocked
• Verify retro out of beam path, WL source off.
• Type "ftABCD"
• Type "ftCalLow" Wait until console reports cal done.
• Put retro in beam path.
• Turn WL source on, adjusting level so that detector reads ~1000 cts per each A, B, C, D.
• Type "ftCalHigh" wait for completion.
• Turn WL off.
• Take retro out.
• Unblock laser.
• Repeat for secondary table as necessary.

10. SKIP THIS STEP. GO to 11. Automated Calibrations. NOTE: The systems can do all the homes, fidsets etc automatically.

• Put the Laser Boresight in COMPUTER mode.
• Turn on the WL source to 3 V, and uncover the chop cal corner cubes
• Make sure the retro is out.
• In the GUI Observing window, click Calibrate. Wait for it to finish.
• Turn off WL source
• Cover chop cal corner cubes.
• You are now ready to begin observing. Skip to step 14.

11. Manual Calibration Steps. NOTE: If you do step 10 above, you can skip steps 11-13 .

• Send N,S siderostats to home position.
• Put Act, Psv delay lines in "off" state.
• Activate "Fid Set" mode on Act, Psv delay line.
• Find out what stroke amplitude and frequency to use by looking at fringe tracker window. Enter stroke frequency and amplitude in the stroke field on the long active delay line.
• Send stroke.
• Once fid set is complete, turn "off", then do "Stroke Set" on Act delay line.

12. Preparing the Acquisition System (details)

• Verify WL source off.
• Verify retro out of beam path.
• Unblock laser.
• Turn off and then back on acq camera power using the remote buttons next to horatio.
• For each acq system: "Hardware Reset", then "Reset" for both systems; wait 1-2 iterations; Turn off systems again.]
• Do "Laser Boresight" on N,S systems.
• Block laser.

13. Chop Calibrating the Star Tracker (details)

• Lights off in room.
• Verify Laser blocked.
• Verify retro reflector out of beam path.
• Turn WL source on, to ~1.1V
• Uncover chop cal corner cubes.
• DO NOT EXCEED 500,000 counts on star trackers; adjust as WL source as necessary.
• In gui, do "chop cal" on both systems simultaneously
• Do it again in opposite order to remove hysteresis.
• Turn WL source off.
• Cover corner cubes.

14. To Begin Observing (details)

• Verify Laser blocked.
• Verify retro out of beam path.
• Verify WL source off.
• Verify corner cubes covered.
• Verify humidity, weather.
• Sacrifice one small goat, making sure to splash its blood on the beam pipes.
• You are ready to begin.
• Use "create star list...", "browse catalog" to get to catalog window.
• "Load current schedule" loads /home/pti/schedule/current_schedule.cat
• Otherwise, type in the full path name [eg. /home/pti/schedule/mySchedule.cat"] and click "load"
• Select star by highlighting
• enter the observing time in the star list window (typically 130 sec).
• Click "copy selected stars to starlist"; can use delete, move star up, move star down to adjust
• Click "send list to sequencer"
• If updating the list mid-observations, turn primary observe off, first.
• Select primary observse.
• Note that go to next star will complete a background before moving on; goto highlighted star moves immediately.

15. Shutting down (details)

• Send delay lines to "back" position.
• Put siderostats in "stow" mode.
• Type endNight to do an automated reduction and summary report.
• Go out to huts and remove extension tubes.
• Cover end of light pipes.
• Put siderostat lids on.
• Turn on air conditioning(max) and dehumidifiers(12 oclock position).
• Close huts.
• Sleep.